


Walk Through This Storm

by IprotectKennyP (dauntperplexity)



Series: Pimms Week 2019 [5]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M, Mentions of the 09 Draft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 12:49:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20358778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dauntperplexity/pseuds/IprotectKennyP
Summary: "Do you have stories about every plant here?" He felt bad that he hadn't asked before, but he didn't think there would be a system to Kent’s plants.Kent shrugged a nonchalant shrug. ”I mostly buy them on someone's birthday. Or when something good happens." He bit his bottom lip. "Been buying a lot recently."





	Walk Through This Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 5 of Pimms Week!
> 
> Growth
> 
> -Not beta read. I'll do some edits once the week is over.

On the morning of their one year dating anniversary, Jack found Kent, still wearing the sweatshirt and boxers he wore to sleep, in the sunroom of his house. He watched from the doorway as Kent lifted up one of his succulents, lowered it, and lifted it again before setting it back down on his plant stand.

"I think you can handle one more day," he said softly before moving on to the plant right next to it. He lifted it up, lowered it, and lifted it again. After setting it down, he grabbed his watering can to water it.

"What can the other one handle?" Jack asked as Kent picked up the next plant.

Kent looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Me not watering him for one more day.” He set the watering can down to brush his fingers through his hair to try and tame it before bending down work on the second shelf of plants.

Jack walked over, stood next to Kent, and watched him pick up another plant. "You can't just water all of them on the same day?"

"No," Kent said, getting his watering can again. "I don't want to risk overwatering them. They're really low maintenance, but I don't want to risk it, you know?"

Jack nodded. "Can I help?"

"You don't have to, Zimms," Kent said.

"It's our anniversary," Jack said. "My plan was to wake up with you, but you weren't in bed when I opened my eyes. I want to spend as much time as I can with you today." He smiled when he saw the blush spreading across Kent's cheeks.

"Sure," Kent said. He walked over to the next plant stand. "So, just start over there,” he said pointing to a wall. Pick one up slowly. If it feels really, really light, then he needs some water. If you're unsure, just gently press on the soil to feel if it’s dry or not. Then I just usually go around the pot twice with the can. It doesn't need a lot of water since the soil drains really, really easily."

"What if I do something wrong?"

"Well, it's your first time. Don’t worry. These plants are a lot more resilient than you think,” Kent said."And you can't be any worse than I was after I bought my first plant."

"How long ago was that?" Jack asked.

"Uh... October 2009? The day after my first game," he said softly, almost like he was embarrassed by it.

But Jack wasn't going to let him feel ashamed over what he had accomplished that day. "Five points with two goals. Should've been three and six," he said as he lifted up a plant and set it back down when he felt some weight to it.

"Shut up, Zimms," Kent said, knowing his boyfriend was teasing.

Jack smiled. He could hear the embarrassment in his voice. "Is that plant somewhere in here?" he asked, moving over to the next plant.

"Yeah," Kent said, walking across the sunroom to a brightly lit corner. "Here he is," he said, picking him up. "And he's thirsty." He grabbed the watering can to water the soil just a bit. "There were definitely a few times I thought I was gonna lose him." He wiped some dust off of the surface of it. "But he's a strong one. Bounced back. Even if I didn't really do enough to help. But he's still here. And he's flourishing."

Jack walked over and smiled. "He looks good." He could tell that one was one of the older plants because of how big it was compared to the other ones. "Do you have stories about every plant here?" He felt bad that he hadn't asked before, but he didn't think there would be a system to Kent’s plants.

Kent shrugged a nonchalant shrug. "I mostly buy them on someone's birthday. Or when something good happens." He bit his bottom lip. "Been buying a lot recently."

Jack felt his cheeks warming up. He had to wonder just how much of an influence he had on Kent’s succulent budget. "Birthdays, huh?" he asked, looking around at all of them.

"And... other dates."

"Like?"

Kent sighed. "I buy one every year on the anniversary of the." He stopped for a moment, took a deep breath and let it out. Then he looked up at Jack. "I buy one on the anniversary of the draft," he said softly.

"Oh?" He could understand why Kent hesitated to say something. He would’ve probably wondered if it was worth it to bring it all up, but they were working on communicating and being completely honest with each other.

"Yeah. But those ones never like... I don't know," Kent said with a shrug. "They do just enough?"

"Just enough to what?"

"I don't know how to describe it," Kent said. "It's just... it feels like the other plants are just doing better? I'm not really sure what I'm doing wrong. I have others that are the same species, I think, and they're doing better. I think."

"Can I see him?" Jack asked. "Or, them? If they're more than one."

Kent nodded and went to refill the watering can before heading back to where he was. He bent down and picked a plant off of the second shelf. "Huh," he said softly as he stood up.

"Everything okay?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," Kent said. He spun the plant around. "This is just a new growth."

"Oh?" Jack said. He walked over and saw Kent gently running his finger over a long vine looking thing with a flower on the end.

"He's flowering," Kent said, looking up at Jack and smiling. "He's never done that before." He lifted the plant up so he could look at the flower. "Oh, I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it. Well, let's get you some water. And a little bit of that succulent food you seem to like, huh?"

"How serendipitous," Jack said as Kent mixed some of the food with the water before watering the plant.

Kent stood up and kissed Jack on his cheek. "You know how much I love that word."

"I know," Jack said, kissing Kent on his lips. He smiled as he saw just how happy Kent was. "Why don't we finish up here so we can get something for breakfast?"

"Yeah. We just gotta finish the last wall."

Jack nodded and walked over to the last wall and started picking up plants. He took the watering can from Kent every time he needed it.

The last two plants they had to water were two large fishbowls full of various succulents. Jack looked over at Kent. "This doesn't look like the rest of the plants you have."

"I didn't buy this one," Kent said with a sigh.

"You didn't?"

"Keats made it," Kent said, grabbing the watering can from Jack and watering both of the fishbowls. "He came over once and saw this room and then I told him about how and why I bought them. And then he asked which ones I bought for his birthday, because obviously, I did since I bought one for your birthday every year. And for some reason, I can't lie to that guy. And then he found out that my favorite place to buy beer was holding this like succulent fishbowl craft day and he signed both of us up. But I didn't want to make one, so he made two while I just drank. And he piled in as much as he could because it was supposed to cover the birthdays I missed and that way I don't have to buy another one for a couple decades."

"That's a true story?"

"That's just Keats."

Jack had to laugh. "So. You've bought some for my birthday?"

Kent reached down and took Jack's hand and led him over to a planter with eight different plants on it. "This is my Jack shelf," he said. He smiled as he looked down and saw a few of them flowering too. "Well, it's been a while since this has happened for these plants," he said. He pulled Jack over. "I must've done something right recently since all my babies seem to be doing well."

Jack stood up straight and pulled Kent up with him. He wrapped his arm around Kent's waist and kissed him on his lips. He sighed and rested his forehead against Kent's.

"Happy Anniversary, Kenny."

Kent smiled and kissed Jack. "Happy Anniversary, Zimms."

Jack pulled back and looked into Kent's eyes. He loved him so much. "Let's go buy you another succulent."

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr at zimmboniandbitty.


End file.
